The Marketing Plan: Stage Three: Customer/Client Questions PDF Print E-mail

You also need to ask questions about your clients. The best way to do this is to make two lists that respond to two questions: 
1. What do your best customers look like and why are they your best customers?
Write down the answers to these questions and be specific about what it is that makes these customers the best, including any cultural attributes that make working with them enjoyable for your organization.

2. What do your worst customers look like?
Write down exactly why they are on this list, including what they do or don't do, that does or does not fit with your organization. Be specific in detailing the points that rub you raw. Maybe their accounting system drives you wild, causing lost time and money trying to get your invoices through their system. Or maybe their internal process for handling reviews of professional work is chaotic, and this eliminates your margins with their schedule failures.
From the two lists, you can now write a description of your ideal customer. What elements should you be looking for that will be better matches for your organization. You may decide to change some things in your organization in order to better match with some of your customers. Sometimes reorganizing your own accounting systems makes some of the Worst Customers your Best Customers immediately.

All of this analysis goes into your marketing plan. And remember, the plan will be fluid to accommodate new information as it's discovered. Even though goals and targets will shift, there must a plan. After all, how are you are going to get "there" if you don't know where "there" is? 


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